Action Research - Promoting Political Participation of Indigenous Women in Cambodia, by Margherita Maffii and Hong Sineath, October 2008

Cambodian women remain largely marginalized within the political sphere. This is especially true for indigenous women in local decision making. To better understand and promote indigenous women’s participation in both traditional and formal political institutions, the Cambodia Country Office, together with GTZ, has launched an action research project. The project was conducted during the months of May, June and July 2008 among indigenous communities in Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng and among Khmer communities in Kratie.

Following a very complex and tricky cross road at the intersection between ethnicity, gender, and political representation, the study points at both obstacles and opportunities to enhance indigenous women’s political participation. While most female commune councilors are still facing an ethnically Khmer and male dominated context in which their role is downsized and marginalized, women participating in this research agreed on the relevance of women’s access to governance, and on the capacity and commitment that women have in managing the communities. The study results are currently being disseminated through a number of workshops both at the provincial and national level.

Rethinking Investments in Natural Resources: China’s Emerging Role in the Mekong Region Scoping Study, December 2008

Working closely with civil society partners since 1993, the Heinrich Böll Foundation was the first German political foundation to establish an office in Cambodia. Building on past achievements, our current program focuses on the following areas:

• Sustainable Resource Governance
• Indigenous Livelihood Rights
• Gender Democracy

In all three areas, we develop strategic partnerships, support capacity building and initiate research projects in order to enhance discussion and foster stakeholder dialogue on a national, regional and international level.

With a regional focus on the Northeast, we work with a variety of partner organizations on projects to empower women and indigenous peoples and promote their political participation and self-determined development.

As part of a capacity building initiative aimed at promoting empowering participatory approaches (PEPA), we are helping to establish a network of facilitators from organisations working with indigenous communities on land and natural resource management.

The Cambodia office also initiates and funds innovative research in these areas and has released a number of publications.